Democratic Candidates for the BET: Greenwich Will Benefit from a Different BET

The Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET), the Board responsible for issuing the budget and setting the tax rate, is comprised of 12 volunteers, organized by political party. What many people don’t understand is that the political party that receives the most votes for its BET candidates earns the Chair. The Chair has the tie-breaking vote, appoints committee membership, and sets the Board’s policy direction and agenda.

So…you may be asking…what does Greenwich gain by having a different BET chair? While both parties work together, there are many differences between the parties that impact quality of life for residents. There is a lot at stake in the November 7th election and it is the Democrats that have a platform centered around Vision, Values and Fiscal Balance:

• Vision: We are forward thinking and want to plan for our Town’s future. We believe that the Town needs to maintain and improve our infrastructure – particularly our public schools infrastructure. We also want to provide services to meet residents’ expectations. Smart investment preserves our property values.

The Republicans’ approach of cut first and assess later does not position the Town for a successful future and will, over time, lower the attractiveness of Greenwich to potential new families.

• Values: We view the budget as the financial embodiment of community values. Our values protect the most vulnerable in this community, including seniors; residents with limited financial resources; and those with greater social service needs. We are fiscally responsible and we will continue to look for operating and other efficiencies that will help keep taxes low. But, we don’t favor tactics that will negatively impact our children, seniors or infrastructure.

• Fiscal Balance: We believe in the right balance between fiscal restraint and support of the critical services provided by our Town. Our approach is detail oriented, fact-based and focused on preserving our Greenwich quality of life for the long-term.

In this election, your vote for a different BET is essential. We need a BET that will provide vision, support our values and reinforce fiscal balance. Vote for the six BET Democrats. It is time for change.

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The six members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation ask the Board of Education define programs with well-defined measurable goals and discontinue or change those programs with minimal student benefit. "It is time for the BOE to re-examine headcount growth and the rising costs of schools." – Michael Mason (Caucus Chair), Leslie Tarkington, Bill Drake, Andy Duus, Karen Fassuliotis, Debra Hess

This article was written by Michelle Xiong and Emma Burstiner for The Beak at Greenwich High School, and was published on Friday, March 16, 2018
On March 14, one month since the tragic Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in which 17 students were killed, schools across the nation rallied together and walked out of their classes at 10:00AM for 17 minutes. As Dr. Winters established in his email to the students, parents, and faculty, the message for the walk-out was that “we must do more to stop school shootings.”
The GHS Young Democrats were eager for the walk out.